Its classification as a liver function test lft is erroneous but has become accepted usage and seems likely to prevail. Aspartate aminotransferase astgot and alanine ncbi. Alanine aminotransferase alt is present primarily in liver cells. Low levels of alanine transaminase alt and aspartate aminotransferase ast in the blood are normal, but high levels require action.
The alanine aminotransferase alt blood test is typically used to detect liver injury, and is often ordered in conjunction with aspartate aminotransferase ast or as part of a liver panel to screen for andor help diagnose liver disease. Alanine aminotransferase activity assay kit mak052. An aspartate aminotransferase ast test measures the amount of this enzyme in the blood. How to lower alt and ast liver enzymes healthfully. It is also called alanine aminotransferase alat and was formerly called serum glutamatepyruvate transaminase sgpt or serum glutamicpyruvic transaminase sgpt and was first characterized in the mid1950s by arthur karmen and colleagues. Aspartate aminotransferase, ast, is an enzyme found in red blood cells, liver, heart, muscle tissue, pancreas, and kidneys.
Thus it is reasonable for initial screening of atrisk youth to start with alt alone in the interest of cost containment. Alanine aminotransferase activity assay kit catalog number mak052 storage temperature 20 c technical bulletin product description alanine aminotransferase alt, also known as serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase sgpt, is a pyridoxalphosphatedependent enzyme that catalyzes the reversible transfer of an amino group from alanine to. When body tissue or an organ such as the heart or liver is diseased or damaged, additional aspartate aminotransferase is released into the bloodstream. Summary and explanation of test aspartate aminotransferase ast, also referred to as glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase got, is one of a group of enzymes which catalyzes the interconversion of amino acids and. More alt and ast enzymes are able to enter the blood if the livers membrane is deteriorating. The alanine aminotransferase alt test is a blood test that checks for liver damage. An alanine aminotransferase alt test measures the amount of this enzyme in the blood. One of these tests, alanine aminotransferase alt, is more specific than ast. In viral hepatitis and other forms of liver disease associated with hepatic necrosis, serum alt is elevated even before the clinical signs and symptoms of the disease appear. Healthy liver cells store most of alt, but small amounts are also found in the kidneys, heart, muscles, fat tissue, intestines, and pancreas 3. Association of alanine transaminase with aging, frailty.
Alanine aminotransferase alt is an enzyme found mainly in the liver. High levels 50 indicate damage to liver cells as a result of infection hepatitis. Alanine aminotransferase or alt also known as sgpt is an enzyme your body needs to break down proteins into energy 1, 2. Summary of test principle and clinical relevance the lx20 uses an enzymatic rate method to measure alt activity in serum or plasma.
Aspartate aminotransferase ast, formerly termed glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase got, and alanine aminotransferase alt, formerly termed glutamate pyruvate transaminase gpt, are the two aminotransferases of greatest clinical significance. Alt is found in plasma and in various body tissues but is most common in. An ast test is often performed along with an alanine aminotransferase alt test. Also called serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase sgpt or alanine aminotransferase alat. Amuzie, in a comprehensive guide to toxicology in nonclinical drug development second edition, 2017. The normal values listed herecalled a reference rangeare just a guide. Serum gel tubes should be centrifuged within 2 hours of collection. Serum activity of alanine aminotransferase alt as an. Increased levels of alt are typically produced when the liver is damaged.
Low levels of aspartate aminotransferase are normally found in the blood. Ast formerly was called serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase sgot. These ranges vary from lab to lab, and your lab may have a different range for whats normal. Alt was formerly called serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase sgpt. The products of this transamination reaction are pyruvate and glutamate. Ontario context as shown in figure 1, between the 20052006 and 20102011 fiscal years, the number of ast tests. This test measures the level of alt in the blood and is. This situation is not a time for panic, but it does indicate a problem, which requires changes to your lifestyle. Alanine aminotransferase alt, a sensitive indicator of liver cell injury, has been used to identify patients with liver disease for almost 50 years 1. Serum activity of alanine aminotransferase alt wiley.
Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. Pdf the levels of aspartate aminotransferase astgot and. The tests in a clinical chemistry laboratory measure concentrations of biologically important ions salts and minerals, small organic molecules and large macromolecules primarily proteins. When serum activity is measured, it provides a marker of hepatic disease. This test measures levels of alanine aminotransferase alt in the blood. P functions as coenzyme in the amino transfer reactions. This enzyme is found in highest concentrations in the liver, but is found to lesser extent in heart, skeletal muscle and kidney. An easy to understand entry on alanine aminotransferase, inlcuding why levels acan be low or high. A liver function test, alt is more sensitive for the detection of hepatocyte injury than for biliary obstruction. This cytosolic enzyme, which is found in many organs, catalyzes the transfer of the. Standard liver tests tables 1 and 2 that assess injury to the liver include alanine aminotransferase alt, aspartate aminotransferase ast, and alkaline phosphatases aps.
Alt is found primarily in liver and serum, but occurs in other tissues as well. Alanine transaminase assay alt sciencell research laboratories. The blood alt levels are thus elevated with liver damage for example, from viral hepatitis or with an insult to the heart for example, from a heart attack. Alanine aminotransferase alt test and results aka sgpt. Alanine aminotransferase also known as alt or sgpt normal. Alanine aminotransferase alt is an enzyme that increases in the blood when the liver is damaged.
Alanine amino transferase alt in refrigerated serum nhanes 20052006 1. Alanine transaminase alt, which may be referred to in other literature as alanine aminotransferase alat or serum glutamatepyruvate transaminase sgpt, is found in blood and many tissues. What is alanine aminotransferase in terms of nursing labs. Alanine aminotransferase sgpt level at 58 do i have. Although serum levels of both aspartate aminotransferase ast and alt become elevated whenever disease processes affect liver cell integrity, alt. Alanine amino transferase alt in refrigerated serum nhanes 20012002. Alanine transaminase alt is known by multiple names including. General description alanine aminotransferase alt, also known as serum glutamicpyruvic transaminase sgpt, is a pyridoxalphosphatedepen dent enzyme that catalyzes the reversible transfer of an amino group from alanine to. As a member of the aminotransferase family, alt catalyzes the reversible transfer of the amino group from glutamate to pyruvate while replacing the amino group of.
Meanwhile, spectrophotometric measurement has its obvious advantages such as continuous test and wide measurement range visible light, uv. In the reaction, alt catalyzes the reversible transamination of l alanine and. Alt is released into blood when the liver or heart is damaged. Aspartate aminotransferase an overview sciencedirect. Alanine aminotransferase serum, plasma association for clinical. The alt test is often done along with other tests that check for liver damage, including aspartate aminotransferase ast, alkaline phosphatase, lactate. Redtop tubes should be centrifuged and aliquoted within 2 hours of collection. Ast is normally found in red blood cells, liver, heart, muscle tissue, pancreas, and kidneys. Ast, however, is not specific for the liver and may be increased in conditions affecting other parts of the body.
See section 6 for more detail about specific analytes. It is determined by measuring the decrease in absorbance at 340 nm. Clinical chemistry is the branch of laboratory medicine that focuses primarily on molecules. Much smaller amounts of it are also found in the heart and muscles. Always use the normal range printed on the lab report to decide. Alanine transaminase an overview sciencedirect topics. Alanine transaminase alt is a transaminase enzyme ec 2.
Alanine amino transferase alt in refrigerated serum. Uv test the rate of the nadh oxidation is directly proportional to the catalytic alt activity. Alanine aminotransferase, glutamatepyruvate transaminase gpt, and serum glutamatepyruvate transaminase sgpt. Alt catalyzes the transfer of an amino group from alanine. Alt is more specific for liver injury than ast sgot. Your doctor can use this test to find out if a disease, drug, or injury has damaged your liver. Alt is a valuable screening test to detect otherwise inapparent liver disease, such as asymptomatic viral hepatitis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, both of. Alanine aminotransferase alt is an enzyme found mostly in the cells of the liver and kidney. Alt activity assay sufficient for 100 colorimetric or.
Alt is found mainly in the liver, but also in smaller amounts in the kidneys, heart, muscles, and pancreas. An enzyme that is normally present in liver and heart cells. The relationships between blood tests of liver function and injury alanine transaminase alt, gammaglutamyl transferase, bilirubin, and albumin with age, frailty, and survival were investigated in 1,673 communitydwelling men aged 70 years or older. The excretory function of the liver can be estimated by bilirubin and the metabolic function of the liver by clotting tests and albumin. Alanine aminotransferase is an enzyme produced mainly in the liver. An alanine aminotransferase alt test measures the level of alt in your blood. In clinical testing, the levels of aspartate aminotransferase ast and alanine aminotransferase alt provide important indicators of potential. Acute hepatitis a or b can be confirmed serologically, as can. Alanine amino transferase alt in refrigerated serum nhanes 20012002 collaborative laboratory services, l. Alanine aminotransferase alt is an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of amino groups to form the hepatic metabolite oxaloacetate.
Regarding the way in which these ranges are measured, a unit is a specific amount. Normally, alt levels in blood are low, but when the liver is damaged, alt is released into the blood and the level increases. One of numerous studies suggesting that a change in the value of the altast. The test is most useful in detecting liver damage due to hepatitis, drugs toxic to the liver, cirrhosis, or alcoholism. Review aspartate aminotransferase astgot and alanine.
1138 1497 1199 420 516 749 1438 1405 117 771 621 690 1615 1219 1548 1116 1612 677 118 664 245 17 957 207 124 178 260 1279 629 283 335 1086 124 1172 214